Many types of specialized trucks exist that are designed to assist in the performance of specific tasks. One such vehicle is the so-called "right-hand stand-up" truck, which is often used in the door-to-door collection of refuse and recyclable materials. For maximum efficiency, door-to-door collection of such materials is generally performed by first driving along one side of a street and collecting material gathered on that side of the street, then driving in the other direction on the other side of the street and collecting material from that side. Of course, in the United States motorists drive on the right side of the road; to accommodate this, right-hand stand-up trucks are designed with the steering wheel on the right side of the truck cab to enable the driver to park the truck, exit the vehicle, and walk to the collection point (which is usually located on or near the sidewalk bordering the street) without having to cross the street. Not only does such a truck increase driver safety, it also improves efficiency immensely. A driver may be forced to enter and exit the vehicle as many as 500 times per day, so any reduction in his activity and motion decreases his time at each collection stop.
Another aspect of the stand-up truck that improves efficiency is the configuration of the cab interior. Because the driver exits and re-enters the truck so often during the course of a day, stand-up trucks are designed so that the driver stands while driving. This configuration allows the driver to simply step into and out of the truck during collection rather than having to rise from a seated position at each collection point. This configuration both improves collection speed and reduces driver fatigue.
One of the major concerns for this type of vehicle is the safety of the driver. Accidents can occur as the driver enters and exits the vehicle, and also while the vehicle is moving. Because productivity is so important in this type of truck, in many instances the driver's access door is left open during driving and collection due to the frequency with which the driver must enter and exit. Also, most of these vehicles lack air conditioning and windows that can be opened to provide ventilation. As a result, many drivers drive with the door open to ventilate the cab. Of course, leaving the door open while driving increases both the risk of accidents occurring and the severity of injuries suffered in such an accident.
Some tentative proposals have been offered to protect the standing driver. These include chains, belts and rigid metal bars that extend across the door frame of the access door. None of these proposals is particularly satisfactory. First, they provide only minimal protection for the driver. Second, they decrease productivity because they require an extra operation for the driver to perform each time he enters and exits. Because of this, only a very small percentage of the drivers regularly use these safety devices, which, of course, defeats the purpose of having such devices.